M.I.Y.O. Monday: What Is Your Bubble Milk Tea of Choice?

Note: M.I.Y.O. Monday stands for Make It Your Own Monday, a question thrown out to DCF readers every Monday to jumpstart the week with lively interaction. I also welcome questions and suggestions for future MIYO Mondays. Email me.

I get a sense of dé jà vu when I see the myriad bubble milk tea shops sprouting like … well, bubbles, around Manila. Chatime, Serenitea, Happy Lemon, and Gong Cha – all these trendy teas have their progenitors in Quickly and Milky Way, both popular in the early 2000s.

People have taken the time to explain to me their ardor for a certain brand and why one is better than the other. I’m amused and frankly, quite surprised at how proponents of a particular brand are so devoted – no, zealous over their chosen brand – and beverage – of choice. I listen carefully and note the animated use of their hands and the way their eyes light up as brightly as these tea places are. My tweet about trying Happy Lemon’s cult favorite, Green Tea with Rock Salt & Cheese gets a reaction from a friend: “@DessertComes1st: That’s a maarte drink. Try the Lemon Yakult instead.” Guess she’s not a fan. Neither am I. I taste more cream than I do anything else. And really, this may be tea, but with everything that’s put in there, it can’t be all that healthy. Especially if you get a daily dose of it.

Another day, I’m at Gong Cha on the urging of a recent convert. “It’s the best, the BEST!!!” Reads her text. “Better than ChaTime!” When I text her back that I’ve ordered the Matcha Milk Tea (Regular, 50% sugar), she texts back in all caps: “NO! You should’ve ordered the Milk Winter Melon Tea!” You see what I mean about the zeal of these people?

A friend of mine and a fan of Serenitea won’t even venture trying the other brands because “…I can’t have my bubble milk tea without my Chicken Chops. Plus, malapit sa bahay.” No wonder he takes his Hokkaido Milk Tea at 100% sugar – poultry and tea can’t be perfect partners, especially with pearls in there.

Bubble milk tea places are now THE spots to bang away on one’s laptop and while away the time, and sucking (through a straw) now trumps sipping (through a slit in a paper cup). Tea places are also the current places of choice, I observe, where BFFs sip and share their sorrows. They’re lucky; in my time, it was at McDonald’s over hot fudge sundaes, fries for dipping, optional.

The menu at any of these bubble milk tea shops are all the same to me: expansive and bewildering. With a few variations depending on the brand, there’s a section for Milk Tea, Smoothies or Mousses (in my experience, these are the blended beverages), and various specialty drinks labeled Special Mix or Energetic Healthy Juices. Because I like to make informed decisions, I ask for help in decoding the menu.

Three hours and a frazzled staff member later, I’ve finally decided on my drink and now I’ve got the easy stuff nailed down. I’m not hot about clogging up my straw or impeding my drink’s flow with pearls; no jellies (can’t care less if it’s grass, coconut, or rainbow); I’ll pass on the pudding; and please, I’ll keep the aloe vera in my shampoo and out of my drink. Chatime even offers an Ice option – Non, Less, Normal, or Extra, and across the board at all brands, there’s the Sugar option: at 0%, 30%, 50%, 80%, Normal (what the heck’s normal??!), and Extra Sugar.

Oy. Honey, I have a headache.

Tell me, what’s your bubble milk tea brand of choice and which beverage do you order? Come on, be specific, and maybe you can help me become a bubble milk tea convert too.

Comments

So far, my favorites are the winter melon tea of Gong Cha and Moon Leaf. Gong Cho has stronger tea while Moon Leaf is creamier. I enjoy them both very much, thank you. Oh, and dont forget the cooconut jelly a.k.a. nata de coco.

Lori, Moon Leaf is located at the corner of Alvero and Abada Streets, Loyola Heights. It’s a small kiosk beside Crave Burger. Just look for the long line of college students waiting for their plastic cup of tea. ;p

By the way, I used to love Easy Way… but nobody seems to recall it was ever here in the Philippines. It brought milk tea here a decade ago, maybe more. It was SO good, but the market obviously wasn’t ripe for it and it just sort of disappeared 😛

Easy Way used to be my favorite too, so much so that during my last trip to Taiwan, my sister and I just had to have some when we saw an Easy Way branch. This was after downing milk tea bought from the first milk tea place we spotted.

I’ve tried a lot of milk teas and I mean a lot – Bubble Bee, Bubble Tea, Bubble Tea Boy, Chatime, Cobo, Ersao, Fun Tea, Gong Cha, Happy Lemon, Meicha, Quickly, Serenitea, Teaology, Tea Cup. And that list is just for local milk tea places. My favorite is Happy Lemon’s Milk Tea with Black Pearl Sago. But I must say in all honestly that it is not as good as Happy Lemon Hongkong’s milk tea. I miss Hongkong already =( Haha =P

Anyway, I read somewhere (Entrep mag? Not sure) that it took Php 20M for Chris Tiu and friends to bring Happy Lemon to the Philippines. Incidentally, on a recent trip to Eastwood, there was a very long queue at Happy Lemon while the adjacent Starbucks had just about five people in it. Fascinating. Coffee shops must be taking a blow from all the milk tea craze!

Hello, Lori! I asked the staff at Chatime and they said yes, they use real yogurt 🙂 …which actually comes out in the taste and in the hazy white tinge in the drink. I find the flavor is best at 50% sugar, but I’m attempting to cut on calories, so I settle for 30%!

Rainbow jelly is little chunks of chewy jello in white, red and orange. It sounds kiddie but the fruity flavor goes really well with the green tea, and it doesn’t leave my stomach feeling heavy the way pearls do 🙂 Let us know if you ever get to try it!

Hey Lori. I’m a cha time loyalist—though not much tea inside the Taro Milk Tea in all it’s simplicity it will bowl you over. No frills, no pearls—just the taro bits and I daresay morsels and the tea. Pure bliss!!!

True – but the bubble tea phenomena taking away coffee nuts from Starbucks hasn’t happened yet. Here Joy Yee has an incredible bubble tea selection, but it’s not something you get addicted to. It’s just there. If a friend asks where to meet, it’ll still always be a preferred coffee shop.

Gong Cha-I consider the best in all milk tea store. GC House Special except Green Tea 100% sugar & pudding.
Serenitea-all the japanese named milk tea
Happy Lemon-Cocoa rock salt and cheese. I had a second round of this when I first tried it.
Chatime-just the original flavor 100% sugar& pudding.

Honestly, Lori, I am “old-school” and still prefer Quickly – in what I call their “ultimate” drink with everything in it. It’s taro with all the puddings, nata and of course, chewy “pearls” (count them quotation marks on this comment, jeez.)

I used to have it in college and it’s still around, albeit in just a few places like Valero (woohoo for me) and Megamall. It’s tasty, slushy, refreshing, textured, the pearls are just right, the puddings have distinctly different flavors (like Skittles!) and the nata is just a bonus. It also takes out all the guesswork and confusion.

If I could have everything, I want my Quickly with the masa “Samurai Balls” from Samurai Foods, “Kwek-Kweks” or any other Pinoy food you can eat with bamboo skewers. Simple pleasures. =)

Lori, you have to give FruiTea Mix (along Connecticut) a try! I used to be a Serenitea loyalist, but their quality has degraded over time. I taste more milk than tea in their drinks now. FruiTea Mix doesn’t compromise the flavor of the tea leaves, and their Jasmine Milk Tea is the best I’ve had. Try their Premium Milk Tea and Roasted Milk Tea as well, or if you’re an Earl Grey fan like my brother, go for the Royal Milk Tea. We take ours with 50% sugar.

I’ve tried several milk tea shops but I always go back to **Serenitea because it’s NEAR. For milk tea I usually order Hokkaido or Okinawa, 50% sugar, with Egg Pudding or Grass Jelly. I also enjoy the Green Apple Yakult and of course Chicken Chops! I liked **Gong Cha’s Wintermelon MilkTea, **ChaTime’s Taro milk tea and **Happy Lemon’s Oreo/Cookies&Cream drink. May I also suggest **TeaTalk along Aguirre, BF where I usually order Strawberry FruitTea with Popping Boba or just plain Assam Milk Tea with pearl.

My favorites are not really milk teas but can be bought in milk tea stores. =P
These are the Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese from Happy Lemon and Green Apple Yakult from Serenitea…as for the pearls..I still go for Zagu. =D

Have you tried Bubble Tea (Tokyo Milk Tea Place)? There’s one in Megamall (ground floor, beside Chewy Junior) and there’s another in Greenhills (along Wilson). You’ll love their milk tea because 1) they don’t ask for the sugar/ice level and sinkers, and 2) the pearls are small you won’t get irritated if they get stuck inside the straw. See? Headache gone.

You’re right, headache gone. 🙂 I’ve been to Bubble Tea, the Megamall branch and I remember that they served the tea in tall glasses. Somehow, it doesn’t taste the same when it’s not served in a plastic cup with a wide straw :p

Bubble Tea (Tokyo Milk Tea Place)! There’s one in Megamall and another along Wilson (GH). Taro, matcha and honeydew are the best flavors, in my opinion. You won’t get stressed ordering there because 1) there are no sugar/ice levels and numerous sinkers to choose from, and 2) the pearls are so small they won’t get stuck inside the straw. Give it a try, it’s so good, I swear. 🙂

My vote goes to the Happy Lemon Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese 🙂 Must say that I find it amusing to see the “cool” tea places mobbed, and while I’m not an aficionado, I do find Serenitea, Chatime and Quickly enjoyable. No sinkers or sweeteners for me at the first two places, taro milk & pudding for the win at the latter 🙂

Chatime, roasted milk tea + grass jelly, large. 🙂 i even walk for 30 mins to landmark and another 20 or so mins for waiting just for a dose of this.
i used to adore bubble tea but found others that served more (and better) for less 🙂

I have to start laying off the bubble tea because my butt is starting to resemble a bubble.

So these are what I’ll be saying goodbye to:

1) Serenitea’s Hokkaido. I love it for its buttery undertones – I order it at 25% sweetness, plus pearl and crystal. Yvette also introduced me to their Grapefruit Yakult with pearl. THAT’s yummy too. 🙂

Therese-
I bumped into you at a Chatime, remember? Well, bubble butt or not, one bubble milk tea drink a week will keep you happy. (I just re-read what I’ve written. There are a ton of “b” words in there :p)

It’s Jasmine Green Milk Tea for me, less ice and 70% sweetness either from Chatime or Tea.ology.

There’s also a small stall at SM Makati (ground floor, near the escalators, before you reach the grocery store) that sells decent bubble teas for a fraction of the price. I go there for my “fix” if I’m too lazy to walk to Chatime at Landmark. 😉

I have a large Anxi Tie Guanyin Tea Latte from Chatime. Regular Ice, 0% sugar. I like this variation from Chatime because I am a fan of strong loose leaf teas. I don’t like the powdered version that is served by other places. I like my tea to be bold and oozing with caffeine. Chatime’s is my choice as it uses real tea leaves and fresh milk their tea lattes. Plus I love the intense flavor of their Anxi Tie Guanyi tea.

Basil drink from Golden Chopsticks in UST is still the best drink for me. freshly brewed tea with no milk, calamansi and super small pearls that resemble basil seeds – the most refreshing drink for me:)

I am one of the zealous people when it comes to my tea places. I am in love with Happy Lemon’s Green Tea RSC because of the flowery creamy mix it turns to after a while. Moonleaf’s Almond Milk tea is divine. But I would have to give it to Moonleaf in terms of the tambay friendly vibe and sweets they offer.

Bubble Tea. I love how their pearls/bubbles/sago have a hint of sweetness- i’ve tried some of the other brands and sometimes their pearls taste like plastic. Plus they have a full japanese food menu, so it’s good for sit-down meals too. 🙂

Gong Cha’s House Special Black Tea with 50% sugar and less ice, with pearls- hands down my favorite. I also like ChaTime’s fresh milk with grass jelly. And Happy Lemon’s Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese. Gong Cha’s Wintermelon Tea tastes like creme brulee in a cup.

taking class in ust for three years now has made milk tea grow on me, because there are so many different places to get it. and it’s a lot more affordable than the big name tea places. i find paying more than P60 for a cup of milk tea a little exorbitant.

still, i can’t help paying for my happy lemon fix. i know you like malt lori, and happy lemon does have a malt milk tea, so you might want to try that. i keep meaning to, but i can never help ordering the cocoa with rock salt & cheese or the roasted milk tea with azuki beans (my addition of choice). i was quite enamored with moonleaf tea for a while, but a recent bad bout with it has probably turned me off milk tea for a good long while. such a shame, i really loved the honey milk tea, for that dominant floral honey note that goes surprisingly well with the “milk” (i think they, like most places, use nondairy creamer really).

my heart will always belong to Serenitea. my reasons range from the logical dictations of the tongue to the more sentimental tugs of the heart.
tastewise, Serenitea has a cleaner and simpler palate. which i greatly appreciate over the more dense and complex drinks of Happy Lemon.

another, more nostalgic reason for my love of Serenitea is that it was over countless cups of Serenitea that i started to get to know and develop a special relationship with a very special person. and if i remember correctly, it was with a couple cups of Serenitea that Mich and I celebrated the day that she became my girlfriend. 🙂

Gone are the days when the only choices we had for pearl drinks were “Easy way” and “Zagu” (though Zagu does not really sell pearl milk tea) but I have found a friend in Happy Lemon’s Rock Salt & Cheese variations… but only on really special occasions (Every opportunity?). Oh the effort of standing in line for one of those neo-age teas! xp

my heart will always belong to Serenitea. my reasons range from the logical dictations of the tongue to the more sentimental tugs of the heart.
tastewise, Serenitea has a cleaner and simpler palate. which i greatly appreciate over the more dense and complex drinks of Happy Lemon.

another, more nostalgic, reason for my love of Serenitea is that it was over countless cups of Serenitea that i started to get to know and develop a special relationship with a very special person. and if i remember correctly, it was with a couple cups of Serenitea that Mich and I celebrated the day that she became my girlfriend. 🙂

Bubble Tea’s Royal Milk Tea with just the right amount of ice! Classic. Even the pearls are perfect in my book. May kamahalan nga lang at P120. Before I got pregnant I always bought this on payday as a personal reward and mood booster. I can’t wait to have my milk tea after my delivery. That’s how big of a fan I am!

Happy Lemon is really known for the maarte rock salt and cheese drink that’s only good while the cheese lasts. It’s also expensive for its size. I queue up longer than I finish a cup. 😐

ChaTime is heavenly (my personal fave’s the roasted milk tea with grass jelly – 80% sweet – the jelly is really good/soft and not pinoy gulaman type) but comparable to cheaper milk tea outlets such as Simple Line (branches out in UST area only and DLSU – their bevs taste like milk WITH tea it’s good and it’s cheap!).

I think the best one I tasted is Moonleaf’s wintermelon milk tea at 80% sweetness (you can even make it 50% kasi matamis parin at 80). You don’t need sinkers (pearls, jelly, puddling, etc) for this! It’s GOOD on it’s own. In one word it’s: MALINAMNAM.

Haha! Sorry for the long comment! I’m craving for a glass of milk tea now thanks :))

Hmmm. I haven’t tried Gong Cha so I must do so soon since I love milk tea. I’m a fan of Chatime and Tokyo Bubble Tea but if I’m on a budget, I go to Zen Tea for their Horlicks milk tea. Mura lang, P45 bucks!

Hands down, Moonleaf will be THE best milk tea place ever! Not too sweet, not too bitter of a tea. Perfect brew. And it’s a Filipino brand, I am sorry but the other stalwarts in the industry are just franchises of their parents in Taiwan. I prefer an authentic drink, under a Filipino brand. Again – Moonleaf! http://jonverdavid.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/t-m-t-p-moonleaf-tea-shop/

i love ovaltine too! i get my milk tea fix at Happy Leaf Milk Tea Place. You should definitely try their OVALTINE MILK TEA! I order it everyday before coming to work (sometimes before going home)hehehe. Ang sarap lang!

Youve got to try Jelly Citea at PUP Sta Mesa. I love their Citea flavors specially the Manila, Bangkok and New York flavors. They also have special milk tea and pearl milk tea. I recommend to try their dark chocolate and wintermelon that will surely satisfy your taste buds.

Trackbacks

[…] Joly credits her mom for the idea of infusing tea into pastries. “She used to make ‘Tea Eggs,’ where whole eggs are boiled in tea,” she explains, “and at the time, we were also thinking of a concept. We felt that it could work in desserts, too. Everything just came together especially since the market started to know more about tea via bubble teas.” […]